Synopsis

In this short movie featuring familiar characters from Azumanga Daioh, Osaka is yet again having a strange dream of Chiyo-Chan's pigtails being posessed. As Chiyo-Chan's pigtails bounce out of the window, who knows if young Chiyo will ever be happy again.

It really is pretty funny is you've watched the whole series before watching this little short... I'm glad they did something with the pigtails because they we're didn't touch base too much with Osaka's obsession with Chiyo's pigtails. Cute, funny, and REALLY enjoyable! :D

This is the second short pilot film that JC Staff released, this one a lot closer(but still not quite matching) the animation style and budget of the TV release. It’s a bit longer than Web Daioh, and while it’s not quite as funny, it does put forth a more accurate representation of what the series would eventually be. Rather than a traditional intro, like Web Daioh had, this film opens with a shot of Chiyo riding on her dog, Mr. Tadakichi, introducing herself and nearly getting thrown off of him. The opening features some of the show’s iconic background music, which is
always nice.

Splitting it into two halves, the first half is probably the weaker one. It features a couple of minutes of Yukari’s class, squeezing several of the running gags and staples of the series into two minutes. This includes Yukari being a dick, Chiyo getting good grades, the Bonklers(which I’ll always call them because it sounds better than knuckleheads) acting out, Chiyo trying not to be cute, Tomo standing outside, Kaorin being in love, Sakaki musing over a cat bite, and keep in mind, thisall takes place in the span of two minutes... Including the opening.

The second half, in contrast, plays out one joke on it’s own... Osaka and her pigtail dreams. If you’ve seen the anime or read the manga, you know what I’m talking about, and this goes on for almost 3 minutes. Unlike the first half, this one doesn’t stick to the established material, instead taking full advantage of the surreal situation to try some new jokes, like Chiyo slowly turning her head like an owl(creepy) and the entire class thinking she’s a lost child that doesn’t belong there. I’m not going to give away how this part ends, you kind of just have to experience it for yourselves. It’s weird.

The short ends with a thirty second credits, marking the second appearance of Chiyodaddy, and if i’m being honest, I don’t feel as though this one’s as strong as Web Daioh. It suffers in terms of pacing, with so many jokes and in-show references thrown at you in such a short time that it’s hard to process what you’re watching. The Osaka dream is at least new and interesting, especially the way it breaks away from the script.

There’s actual music in it, which I definitely like, especially since upon reflection, this is the pilot for the show’s iconic score, too. The dub is phenomenal, and the actors are on point... Save for Mandy Clark and Nancy Novotny, big surprise there... But I’d especially like to give a shout out to Jessica Boone and Kira Vincent Davis, as they play the most prominent characters in the short and absolutely slaughter their roles.

All in all, not quite as good as Web Daioh, in terms of story, but a small improvement in the area of production values. I give it a 7/10.

This was alot better than that crappy Azumanga Web Daioh, but still doesn't surpass the show.

It features the young high school girls. Everything is going fine until Osaka falls in love with Chiyo-chan and accidentally plunks her pigtails off. As she is crying, the high school girls try to find a way to make her better.

I really thought Chiyo-chan acted like a two-year-old in this. The girls treating her like a toddler with a lollie pop and everything is very cruel to a little girl.

Story: Really enjoyed the story alot. But the story turned into a twist, which made it more enjoyable. Still not as
good as the original Azumanga Daioh series.

Art: Much better than the two short and series of Azumanga I've seen. Azumanga Web Daioh, and Azumanga Daioh. It features the best of character designs any movie can have. And it could've really turned into a feature-length movie.

Sound: Well, there's no music, but the bouncy music absoloutely fits Azumanga and I liked the English Dub. Chiyo's crying was so cute and the girls' dub was also cute too.

Character: Very cutesy characters. Chiyo, the crybaby genius, Osaka, the friendly clumsy chick, Tomo, the very aggresive high schooler, and Sakaki, the shy girl. Loved all of their personalities.

Enjoyment: I really enjoyed this little short and I think it's good for all ages. Despite the profainty Azumanga Daioh and the failure Azumanga Web Daioh, I think Azumanga: The Short Movie is really enjoyable for kids who liked the show.